Ensure Everybody Can Be READI

I invite you to join me in improving the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and the Wireless Emergency Alert System (WEA) by cosponsoring H.R. 6427, the Reliable Emergency Alert Distribution Improvement (READI) Act.

The way we watch television and listen to radio has changed drastically in the past few years. Each year, more and more Americans “cut the cord” on their cable subscriptions – opting instead for online streaming services, such as Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon,
over traditional cable television. Similarly, more Americans now listen to music via online streaming services like Spotify or Apple Music.

According to a March 2018 report by the Video Advertising Bureau, 14.1 million households receive television content only via online streaming services, comprising 11% of all television watching households. PEW Research Center similarly found that 6 in 10
(61%) young adults aged 18 – 29 report that the primary way they watch television is through an internet streaming service, rather than cable television; 59% of all U.S. adults rely on online streaming services as their primary TV access. (PEW Research Center).

These numbers are significant, mainly because the EAS only notifies viewers of traditional cable TV or listeners of radio broadcasts of any immediate emergency or local threat, from mass shootings to amber alerts to natural disasters. Americans who opt for
internet streaming services over cable, however, do not receive these same alerts, leaving them uninformed and at higher risk of danger. The READI Act will address this risk by requiring the FCC to examine the feasibility of delivering emergency alerts to
online audio and video streaming services.

The READI Act would also require repetition of active messages sent by the President or FEMA, and expand the reach of emergency alerts by eliminating the option for users to opt out of receiving emergency alerts on mobile devices. Furthermore, the bill
would enhance federal oversight by establishing best practices for issuing alerts, and call for a periodic review and FCC approval of each state’s EAS plan.